Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-12-02
HINTS FOR PRIMARY CLASSES.
BY ALICE W. KN.


Golden text: "Thc seed is the word of
Cod
1t is Gods word we study, this seed we
SOW. Teachers arc lahorcrs on the great
farm or in the garden of the Lord The
rcaping will be according to the sowing.
How is il. fellow laborcrs. with us; Arc we
sowing the good seed of Tn" word. or are we
sowing our own thoughts. illustrations and
seeds of self making Docs every child in
our classes get one gospel seed verse i'm
planted in the young heart every Sunday, so
that the Spirit viii find it there ready for his
Influences, or are we 50 anxious to show our
ingenuity in manufacturing pictures and
original illustrations that there is no time TO
plant the Secdi Pictures are excellent when
they APPLY illustrate the subject but they can
never take the place of the gospel seed verse
that should he well planted in the chid'S
mind. Stories are good when they explain
the truth contained in the seed verse, but
they must always be helps and not the main
lesson
Jesus Christ could talk in parallels and
convey exactly the truth he wished to COM
municatc; but he spake as never man Spake.
In trying to initiate him, the greatest care
should he taken not to mistake the story for
the truth. Hence let young children memo
rize the Scriptures Better far TO go back to
the old system of a verse n day and take all
the Sunday school hour in hearing them re-
cited individually, and have no time for ex-
plantations pictures, illustrations, than to
give the hour to these explanations, pictures
and Illustrations, with no mcmoritcr eXcr-
ciseS The Bible words are Gods words: the
others are human. The Bible words are the
good seed, the others the tilagc First get
the seed into the heart soil which God has
already prepared for it, and then let the best
possible explanations Toe given, Appeal to
eye, to car, to heart to memory; then with
earnest prayer submit the case to God, plead
ing for the Sun of righteousness to shine on
it and the dcws of the divine Spirit TO fructify
it, when n glorious harvest may be conf
IDENTIFY expected
In China the scholars commit entire chap
tcrs and whole books to memory I'm few
instances the entire New Testament has been
correctly rccitod from beginning TO end.
This may. Of course, he n parrot like recita-
ton, the pupil not understanding one verse
with its true meaning; but it should be
thoroughly understood that this is not what
is here recommended. The mcmori2ing of at
least one seed verse weekly is urged aS indiS-
penSahlc to good gospel teaching; then add
the rest rs time permits but 10y no means
neglect the first. \ concert recitation of the
verses is not sufficient As all teachers know,
young children mistake and misunderstood
words, like the little boy who told his mother
the verse taught in Sunday school was,
''Iold II crater to Solomon's ear" for BE
hold, n greater than Solomon is hcrcD. How
much gospel did that child get that day
Each child should recte the verse separately,
IL. l. =,
and receive explanations of words new to
it. When twenty, thirty 100 or 1000
Young children are packed on crowded
seats and all reCite together, per
sonal care and Instruction are sim
ply impossible, The school may be very at
tractive, the children may like to attend, but
the truth is that very few of them are much
benefited. Tho younger the children the
more personal instructions they need. Adults
may crowd together under one good teacher
and receive benefit, because they know how
to read how to study, how to pay attention,
how to think Little children know none of
these things The very meaning and pronun-
citation of the words they do not know
What folly to try to teach them On maSsc,
They may be amused, they may he inter
ested, hy a Skillful teacher, but book might
he written filled with the mistaken ideas and
words they obtain These views are the re-
suit of long experience and close observation,
and are recommended to primary teachers
for their serious consideration. In short to
SOW the good seed of the word of God is to
plant it in the memory, where the Spirit may
find it ready for his use, This is our first
work, and let no teacher feel discouraged
who finds time for little else
Rcmcmbcr-"The seed is the word of
God - Sunday School World.